St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-01-15
THE MAYORS IDEA.
A Short Sermon From His Honor ON
aCrying Evil.

aCrying Evil.
Mayor Ames, at the conclusion of the
meeting of the poor board, yesterday after
noon, INDUCED in discussion with the
aldermen present as to the manner in
which the social evil should be treated
THE city is not collecting any money now
from the houses of ill-fame'' he said. tThe
grand jury has taken that out of my hands
voluntarily. If a set Of men can hear ex
parte testimony and then deal with this evil
better than the mayor, all right. When l
came into the Office last spring had a talk
with Judge Bailey, of the municipal court.
He said to me that the system of filming them
in vogue in many eases amounted to per5ecu-
ton; further than that, it forced the women
TO resort to desperate means in order to live
and pay the heavy fines imposed.
We both agreed that the practice
OF pulling these women before
public court once month and
branding them as soiled doves in the news
papers was detrimental to public morals, so
finally did this. l had the keepers notified
that they 6could deposit a certain amount
each month, generally $50, which should go
towards buying liquor license. These
licenses have been issued and kept in the
safe of the chief of police. Every penny has
been carefully accounted for and turned over
TO the city comptroller l invite inspection
on this point, and would be really glad to have
the council appoint committee to examine
the system. tell you it is about time some
intelligent plan of action in regard to the
social evil should be agreed upon. Here is
an evil that always has existed and always
WILL 1t cannot be abolished by passing laws.
It's about time that legislators were brave
enough to look the matter in the face and
not allow impracticabe fanatics to govern
t1eir actions. Before my administration these
.women were fined in one court of justice
are placed iE jeopardy again for the same
ohense by the grand jury, spectacle con-
trary to the principle of law and justice, to
say the least. What is needed is a license
law that will provide proper safeguards by
inspection to protect public health The
spreading of disease is the most deplorabe
feature, and yet our laws and courts by heavy
fines compel these women to ply their avoca-
ton when they should be kept aoof from
society as leppers were in olden times. No
one but physician appreciates the extent of
this awful curse Tor which our laws are in q
great measure responsible. The moment
man says that this terrible evil should be
dealt with in 4 common sense way he is
called protector Of crime. The average
legislator sinks back to his chair when the
cry is raised and does just what the families
tell him TO do. The reformers cry no COM
promise with crime and go on year after
year attempting to abolish what will
always exist so long as human nature is the
same. These would-be reformtrs always
want somebody fined or sent to Jail. They
never seem to think that the women are VIC
tins OF society, more to be pitied than
damned. They will never agree to any meas
ures tending to mitigate instead of abolish
the evils, but would have the innocent suffer
as well as the guilty. They act just the same
in regard to liquor. They are always going
TO prohibit, or impose such high license as to
compel the adulIeration OF drink and the sale
OF ii contrary to wise restrictions. The evils
resulting from intemperance came in great
measure from adulterated liquors. It's the
poison that men drink that ruins them, gen.
orally, and not pure liquor. I'd like to go
before the legislature and ask that this city
could deal with those evils as it sees fit, and
not be governed by laws passed by represent
atives from country towns who have not the
opportunity Of learning by actual observa-
ton or experience what is needed